UK

The United Kingdom accounts for more than one fifth of the global art market sales and is the second biggest art market after the US.

Through auctioneers, dealers, fairs and markets - and a burgeoning online sector - buyers, collectors and sellers of art and antiques can easily access a vibrant network of intermediaries and events around the country. The UK's museums also house a wealth of impressive collections

A shocking ram-raid by jewellery thieves failed to dampen the spirits and order books of many exhibitors at the Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair on May 10-12. ATG visited on Saturday to observe a bustling fair judged to have been a successful curtain-raiser for the summer season.

A carving of a deerhound which once adorned a 19th century yacht more than doubled the house record for a figurehead at a Charles Miller auction in west London. The item sold for £52,000 had a royal connection but it was the quality and condition which secured the high price, said Miller.

Halls' sale on May 15 in Shrewsbury, combining Asian objects with a country house sale, has ceramics, textiles and paintings at a range of prices to tempt new collectors. ATG picked five items for closer inspection.